Complex systems present diverse algorithmic resource and data options. However, a user of such a system must clearly understand the data type options as well as the algorithm options in order to utilize them. More specifically, to use an algorithm the user must know in advance the correct mapping of an algorithm's inputs to outputs as well as the required format for the input and/or output.
As new algorithms and/or data types are added to the system, and old algorithms and data types removed, the user must maintain a mapping list of what is available and what is required—a task that may itself be a challenging problem in a large system that is networked and made available to multiple users who may at times be operating without direct intercommunication between the users.
In addition, a large system may have general aspects that are widely desired by a variety of different users utilizing a variety of different hardware and software systems. The differences between the systems can and often do impose yet another burden upon the user, as he or she must know in advance how to bridge different systems. Often times this bridging is not a task easily accomplished in real time, but rather is something that requires pre-configuration.
For example, and only in a very general sense, a Unix network may support a repository of data files which a Windows platform user may wish to suddenly access in a quest to resolve a resource availability question in the determination of a scheduling event (such as the location of a satellite at a specific time over a geographic area). Samba is a well known file accessing system that permits Windows platform systems to exchange data with Unix/Lynx systems, but the Samba application must be preexisting and configured on the Unix/Lynx system before such a connection can be made.
So, in addition to the user having to anticipate the types of intersystem communications that might be desired in the future, to use a particular algorithm or solution type solver, the user must know and define for the system precisely what kind of problem is at hand, the resources that will be required to solve the problem, the location of the resources, and pre-format and/or pre-structure the data and/or resource so that the requirements of the algorithm are properly met.
These requirements as imposed upon the user do not permit such a system to be easily utilized in a dynamic environment. As a result, although a solution option might exist within one faction of the system, a user may opt to develop his or her own solution. Although perhaps viable in the short term, such courses of action lead to massive redundancy and resource waste. Further still, an update of data information may not be realized by all users.
Hence, there is a need for a problem solving method and system that overcomes one or more of the technical problems found in existing systems.